Let God’s Will reign over Russia. Victory over the enemy would have saved her… I require nothing, I seek no glory for myself, but Russia must be saved. Without victory, this is almost impossible, and in the case of defeat, she may well fall to pieces, fall into full-blown anarchy.

We expected that a son would be born, but the birth of a fourth girl did not, to any extent, reduce the love of her relatives to her. She was not even a year old, but she already managerd to win universal affection with her amusing manners, her cheerful character and a sonorous laugh. She really is a Shwybzick. At thirteen, Anastasia began to get fat, despite the fact that she moved a lot. In addition, she was much shorter than her sisters.
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Quite unexpectedly for me, the girl lost all interest in studying. Teachers defined this as laziness. But I’m not so sure. It seems to me that the books themselves did not represent anything special to her. She really wanted to face real life. I know that many things concerned her and she could not stand the escort of Cossacks who always accompanied them during their walks. She did not like many other things, but all of these did not overshadow her fun. This is exactly how I remembered her - overflowing with energy, playful, always laughing with her ringing laughter - sometimes for no apparent reason - and still this is the best kind of laughter. She has a heart of gold

Anastasia turned 16 today. How quickly time flies… I am dwelling upon the past. I must think of everything more calmly. What is there to do? If the Lord sends us such hardships, then he clearly believes we are prepared to meet them. They are a test in their own way—we need to show that we have not passed through them in vain.
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There is something good, something useful, in everything; whatever our sufferings may be—let it be so. He will send us strength and patience, and He will not abandon us. He is merciful. We need only bow meekly before His will and wait—there, on the other side. He prepares for all who love Him unspeakable joy.

Gorky introduced me to Lunacharsky. The latter seemed to me like a real charmer. Wide-ranging erudition, wonderful mastery of speech, an “almost Jewish” nimbleness! He seemed all around to belong to the chosen people, but the rumor goes that Lunacharsky isn’t a Jew at all, but a pure-blooded Russian and even a nobleman and a Southern landowner.
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His strange surname seems to trace its roots to some kind of lunar enchantments that point to his “aristocratic roots from the left.” He treated me with great attention, as though he would even offer his services whenever they might be useful to me.

The commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Admiral Kolchak, has departed for St. Petersburg in order to petition the American government for acceptance into the U.S. Navy as a volunteer. Kolchak endeavored till the final hour to maintain discipline in the fleet, but the Council’s promises seemed more attractive to his subordinates.
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The admiral could not have given more than the Sevastopol Council’s representatives had promised: to have all the money that was found in Crimean banks shared among the sailors. In a striking gesture, he broke the golden cutlass that had been awarded him for his bravery, tossed it into the waves of the sea in view of the whole squadron, and walked away.

In the 11 months of my command, I completed my primary task—I achieved complete control over the sea and even eliminated the activities of enemy submarines. But I no longer wish to think about the fleet. Only about you, Anna Vasilievna, my deity, my happiness, my infinitely dear and loved one, I want to think about you as I did in every minute of my command.
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I do not know what will be in an hour, but while I still live, I will be thinking about my star, about my beam of light and warmth—about you, Anna Vasilievna. How I would long to see you again, to kiss your dear hands.